The risk of drinking more than the recommended amount is pretty well known to everyone, and it seems that every week there's a new story in the media about the damage caused to our bodies by excess alcohol. With the physical side effects of too much alcohol ranging from weight gain, sexual dysfunction, liver damage, and infertility, it's not surprising that more and more people are signing up to challenges like 'Dry January' to improve their health.

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So, what happens when you give up alcohol, completely? Are the benefits purely health related? Check out the gallery below to see before and after photos of people who've done just that. And with some amazing transformations including weight loss, clearer skin and brighter eyes you might just be tempted to join them!

1. Former drinker Reddit user 'size16french'.

"This first picture is a selfie I took in the ER on February 1, 2016, the day I was admitted to the hospital and began the journey of recovery.""This second picture was taken on July 30, 2016, exactly six months after the first. I have just completed a thirty-three-mile bike ride, one for every year I have been alive."

2. Reddit user 'Brittsuzanne'.

"January 6, 2016, I put down the vodka bottle and January 11 I checked myself into rehab."